Urbany quietly leads O'Connor softball back to state

Updated 11:47 pm, Thursday, May 31, 2012

Photo: MARVIN PFEIFFER, Express-News

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O'Connor's Kenedy Urbany throws to the plate during their 5A regional final game with Holmes at Northside Softball Field on May 25, 2012. O'Connor advanced to the state finals with a 9-2 victory over the Lady Huskies. MARVIN PFEIFFER/ mpfeiffer@express-news.net

O'Connor's Kenedy Urbany throws to the plate during their 5A regional final game with Holmes at Northside Softball Field on May 25, 2012. O'Connor advanced to the state finals with a 9-2 victory over the Lady

It took a moment for the picture to fully register in Kenedy Urbany's mind.

But there it was, a photo sent from the O'Connor junior's aunt of an, unsurprisingly, shirtless and tanned Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino of “Jersey Shore” fame flashing a sideways peace sign with one hand and, in the other, holding a handwritten sign that read, “Go OC softball, Go Kenedy!”

“My aunt and uncle are in the Bahamas right now and are staying in the same hotel as him,” Urbany said. “At first I was like, ‘Who is this buff guy?'”

Even The Situation is an O'Connor softball fan this week as the Panthers play Deer Park at 6 p.m. today in the Class 5A state semifinals at McCombs Field in Austin.

He picked perhaps the most important player to root for. If the Panthers win their first state title in five trips, it likely will be because of Urbany's pitching and hitting.

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“She feels like she has something to prove,” O'Connor coach Anne Lewis said, “because last year she didn't leave with a very good taste.”

O'Connor's 7-5 loss to The Woodlands in the state championship game spoiled Urbany's perfect record. She lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowed a home run and struggled with her control. She was also called for three illegal pitches, which, she said, rattled her confidence.

That's been extra important for the Panthers (31-2) this season. After graduating seven seniors, the leadership role fell to the reserved pitcher. Last year, she had Maegan Ramirez, now at Our Lady of the Lake, to share the pitching load.

This year, she's been on her own.

“It was hard for her at the beginning of the year to take on that role because she doesn't want to be the vocal leader,” Lewis said. “She's accepted it a little better and realized that she doesn't get a break.”

Urbany has let her performance in the circle do the talking.

She guided O'Connor to an undefeated district championship with a 0.56 ERA, 164 strikeouts and 52 hits allowed. At the plate, she batted .474 with two home runs and 40 RBIs.

In the playoffs, she's been just as good, with a 0.63 ERA and 45 strikeouts in nine games, including five shutouts. Take out a 5-2 loss to Clark, and she's been nearly unhittable.

Those numbers surpass the ones that earned her Express-News Player of the Year honors as a sophomore: 143 strikeouts with a 1.19 ERA.

“She can still get a lot better, and she's working hard to get there,” Lewis said.

A state championship seems like the natural progression for her growth. The Panthers are approaching the tournament with a businesslike attitude. Having the experience from last year's close call has kept them focused.

“This year has been a lot different in terms of the excitement,” Urbany said. “We know what to expect.”

Is she expecting another thoughtful message from The Situation should O'Connor win it all?

No, she said, but that wouldn't take away from the moment. Then Esposito finished her thought:

“Pauly D, Mike and all of them put together could be holding a big poster with our names on it,” Esposito said, “and I don't think that would even matter.”